







b 



/ 






svy>?S%. 



FSTHFP 

L A M B 




it^iMi^BSiS!iaiet^:tii^iiMsniiri:tnsiitt}«^:uiiiiu^Tvsi^iaJtia':^iaU^ 



VERSES 

by 



ESTHER 
HILL 
LAMB 



'Things come to me — 
All of a sudden — 
Li\e that!" 




^^'^'^t^Nl'^ 









ucL 29 !9!9 

(0)CI.A55918 8 



*W0 



CONTENTS 



A Road 


' 7 


To M. F.— Killed in Action 


8 


The Bride 


' 9 


Peacocks , , , , 


10 


To Pierette — Gone 


' 12 


A Fairy 


' 14 


Two Miles Off Atlantic City 


' 15 


Two Little Tales 


' i6 


Comfort 


' 17 


There's Grey Upon The Water - 


' i8 


The Star'Soul , , , , 


' ao 


The Legacy . , > ^ 


22 


Poppy 


' 24 


The Ruined Cathedral 


' 26 


Reach Out Thine Arms 


' 28 


Out In My Garden ' 


30 


A Bairnie in The Hoose ' 


' 31 


On A Tombstone 


' 32 


One, Two, Three 


' 34 


A Bold Answer 


36 


A Child's Prayer 


' 37 



A Road 

Gh! what a mighty load. 
Would he ours without a road. 

A summer road who must confide, 
With drooping trees on either side. 

A road upon whose humble breast, 
The children's little feet have pressed. 

A lover road, with white arms curled. 
About the lovely pulsing world. 

A road that never yet stood still, 
But climbs serenly up a hill. 

God's blessing on the road we tred. 
And may He meet us on — ahead. 



[7] 



To M. F.~Killed in Action 

Heres the same small forest pool, 
That he use to wade thru 
In the little shoes he wore, 
Days when he was made to. 
And the grasses high and sweet 
Cooling to his tiny feet, 
Question all they chance to greet, 
"V/here has Laddie strayed to?" 

He will never go again 
Through the forest roaming, 
T^ever will I see him come 
V/histling thru the gloaming. 
Somewhere under foreign s\ies. 
Smiling still — my Laddie lies, 
Tet to me his spirit flies, 
Li\e a pidgeon — homing. 



[8] 



The Bride 

OH! Benny Tom — 

What have you done! 

Because she has enhrodiered gentlemen 

Across her hac\. 

And flying stor\s on her hreast; 

Because her under lip is full and red. 

And her eyes pinched at the corners; 

Because her feet are li\e twin pidgeons, 

And her words, li\e pomegranate juice 

Drip into your soul; 

There is no reason why 

Tou should bring her here, 

Where only the tea-pot is Chinese, 

And the screen, 

Bac\ of which, your mother is weeping. 



[9} 



Peacocks 

From my nursery window I, 
See the peacoc\s trailing by. 
Tell^a-Din with tail a^fan, 
Leads a gorgeous caravan, 
And the rest with lofty mien. 
Drag their trains of gold and green. 

Oh! they ma\e a frightful sound, 
As they stately wal\ around. 
And their voices, I have heard. 
Scare a nicely mannered bird. 

On my window curtains gay. 
Tiny golden peacoc\s stray, 
And they strut around my bed 
Sewed in rows upon the spread. 



[lo] 



Sometimes when there's company, 
Tm allowed to pee\ and see, 
Shiny silver and the rest. 
Of the things we use for hest. 

But the people — 

Where are they? 

Only lady peacoc\s stray 

Thru the rooms and choose to pass. 

By our tallest loo\ing glass. 

I am small, hut is it fair. 
To see peacoc\s everywhere? 



[n] 



To Pierette—Gone 

This little candle 

Burns for you. 

I have placed it 

Where it will see 

Its brother stars. 

I have placed it 

Where your two eyes 

Will welcome it, 

And where your two feet 

Will follow. 



[12] 



There are yellow pansies 
On my curtains. 
There are violets 
In the furtherest howl. 
But out there 
V/here you are. 
Are all the flowers 
In the world — 
And my poor heart 
As well! 



[13] 



A Fairy 

Once I saw a fairy. 
It was late at ni^t. 
Dancing on my window sill. 
In the pale moonlight. 

Such a happy little thing 
Didnt seem to care. 
Just went right on dancing 
As though I wasnt there. 

I could see its little feet 
Twinkje in and out — 
(Dancing for a moonbeam, 
Its lady4ove, no doubt.) 

Breathlessly I watched it. 
All the long, long, night. 
But when the dawn grew rosy 
It vanished out of sight! 



[14} 











Two Miles Off Atlantic City 

Li\e a necl^ace rare. 
Resting in His hand. 
It lay sparl^ing there. 
Just a strip of land. 

I who stood in awe 
Of this stretch of light. 
Felt, or rather saw, 
A Presence in the night. 

What a lesson taught. 
On the dar\ened sea — 
What a message brought. 
Home at last to me. 

Light, a blessed thing. 
Beacon of our souls. 
Let it ever bring, 
Warning of the shoals. 






[15] 





Two Little Tales 

I have laughed at the story 

Of little Boy Blue — haven t you? 

That he slept all day, 

In a bundle of hay — isnt true! 

I never believed that so little a chap. 

Would pic\ out a hay''Stac\ to take a nap — 

When the pleasantest place was his mother s lap, 

(There is something quite wrong in the tale.) 

I have wept at the story 

Of Little Boy Blue — haven t you? 

That he left his tin soldier. 

And little toy dog, is too true! 

For I \now of a case where a dear little lad, 

Left all his playthings — and Mummy and Dad. 

Little Boy Blue was all that we had — 

(O, it must be true.) 



[16} 



Comfort 

Why are daffodils today 

Dressed so gay — 

Do they hear the marching, marching- 

Of my Dear? 

Oh, the little happy things. 

Dancing there in fairy rings. 

Do they \now the silent meaning 

Of a tear? 

Joyous golden ones arrayed — 

Unafraid. 

Dar\ despair infolds me — 

He is gone! 

When the Shadows gaunt and hlac\ 

Torture me to call him hac\ — / 

Comes their elfin message, 

"Carry On!" 



[17] 



There s Grey Upon The V/ater 

There's grey upon the water, 
That was sapphire yesterday; 
And a host of misty voices, 
Beggin me "to come and play" 

Oh, the eerie little critters, 
I can spot 'em on each wave. 
Tiny, slippery things a-'s\ippin. 
Over Davie Joneses gravel 

Thin\ I'd leave this hit of sand bar. 
When the mist is on the sea. 
For a mess of finny creatures 
That are makin eyes at me? 



[i8] 



l^ot while there are days to follow. 
Golden days with sails aglow. 
And the sun-'hurned children diggin, 
Clear to Chiny, down helow. 

Thens the time I love to waller, 
Li\e a hloomin fish 1 swim. 
Had an uncle once, that learned me, 
Swum to Yarmouth — me and him! 

Oh, I ain't afraid of seagulls, 
Soarin white agin the s\y; 
Or the way the wind comes screamin 
Fm a^settin high and dry. 

Chucl^in at them voices 

Of the ladies in the sea. 

But — there's grey upon the water. 

And they aint a^foolin me! 



[19] 



The Star— Soul 

It has been said 
"Stars, are the dead — 
That rise." 
Inshrined they shine 
Forever, in the s\ies. 

Then thou art there! 

And every prayer 

I say — 

Doth live, when thou. 

Hath vanished with the day. 



[20} 



I often muse — 

Could I hut choose 

My place, 

'Twould he where 

I could loo\ thee in the face. 

Dear Heart, my tears 

Through all the years — 

Will fall. 

But thou above 

Doth understand it all. 



[21] 



The Legacy 

Edwin, Klancy and Barbara — 

I have little to leave you, 

Though I ta\e a great deal with me; 

Tour love, 

V/hich is my most priceless possession. 

Tour respect. 

Which 15 the joy of motherhood. 

Tour grief, 

V/hich I cherish, l^owing it is real. 

Edwin my son. 

In the secretary drawer, you will find 

A little maid. 

She wears a blue dress, and her shoulders 

Are dimpled. 

She was your mother. 

Long since the dress went into cap strings 

For you. 



["] 



And the lace into a party hag, for Bahs. 

l^ancy my child, 

In the hall cupboard you II find a hoo\. 

It is called "Love Sonnets." 

Because you have the flat hosom of 

An old maid. 

And a secret antipathy for children. 

Read it. 

Bahs my darling. 

They are in the old trun\ in the attic, 

The little things are yellow. 

But neatly folded. 

I made them, even the saque. 

They were for my flrst. 

He was stilPhorn. 

V/hen you have found my treasures, 

Tou will have found me. 

God hless you my heloveds, every one. 



[n] 



Poppy 

Brave little poppy 

On her hat, 

I will cast my eyes down, 

When I pass you. 

I will step near — 

For I have an umbrella. 

I will pretend, 

That I am unaware of you. 

And will endeavor 

To appear preoccupied. 



[^4] 



The rain has settled 

In her hair and lashes; 

It caresses her shoulders; 

It has seeped cruelly 

In her slippers. 

Be brave, little poppy — 

As she is; 

I will hold the umbrella 

"Till she finds shelter — 

Then, I shall pass on. 



[^5} 



The Ruined Cathedral 

They have slain me, 

And yet I cannot die. 

I am lying here among the ruins. 

Among the Ages, 

I am lying here, since some 

Blasphemous erruption. 

Tore me from the very Gates of God! 

Here lie I, and there hereft of diadem, 

IsAy Virgin, 

Still with her arms held rounded out, 

As if to hold the Child now empty quite; 

And yonder aged St. Paul — 

Standing within the Holy niche of Saints 

He smiled, or seemed to. 



[26} 



Jsiow gaze upon him! 

This is our grave, this dehris — 

Saint and gargoyle fallen from their heights 

Together lie, and close heside, 

Poor Cheruhen, of carved stone. 

Lying so still, and smiling 'mid the ruins. 

The Child — I see a dimpled arm outstretched. 

Is huried here; 

A bird has built a nest close by 

Within a helmet. 

And high above, where ceaseless shell 

Has torn a window in the arch of God, 

The s\y, bending down. 



[27} 



Reach Out Thine Arms 

The very stillness of the hour; 
The misty dawn that ushered in the day; 
The overpowering smell of drooping flowers; 
The vastness of the hed wherein I lay. 

The drowsy ache of consciousness returning — 

How still the hour — 

I was not home — but where? 

I turned my head — my arms in douht and yearning 

I reached for him — 

And found him lying there!! 



[28] 



Dear Lord! that Thou should grant to me 
That Minute! 

My son! I would have fought to \eep him then. 
My heart cried out and all the love within it — 
"A Mother now, a mother to all Men!! 

A man among all men he fights today. 
Its hrave to he the mother of a lad, 
And braver still to have them smile and say, 
"She gave her country, everything she had!" 

M); son, my happiness, my ALL! 

To Thee, oh Lord, I send my urgent prayer; 

Should he too fall, li\e many other lads. 

Reach out Thine arms — and find him lying there! 



[29} 



Out In tAy Garden 

Out in my garden stands T^arcissus sweet 
Li\e Harlequin, in sunlight patches bright. 
With yellow flowers twined about his feet, 
He gazes at the pool in mild delight. 

Ah, would that Echo could be spared the pain 
To witness this sad sight of Venus' scorn; 
To love, to sing, to call to him in vain — 
And die away, poor voice — ah! most forlorn! 

Oh limpid pool why must you woo him pray 
When lovely Echo bids him lend an ear? 
Perhaps your sleeping surface will some day. 
Her own forgotten image mirror here. 

Out in my garden, Love has sadly strayed, 
I tred so gently, and in pensive mood. 
Seeing T^arcissus in sunshine all arrayed — 
V^hile Echo gently weeps in solitude. 

[ 30 ] 



A Bdirnie In The Hoose 

Te all may tal\ o'verious things, 

Te ivould'Tia he withoot, 

Yed hang on to ye re tarns and plaids, 

An' siVer spurs — no doot. 

But I would gi my coo and calf, 

An \ill the fatest goose. 

If I had for a single hour — 

A hairnie in the hoose I ! 

J^low Jamie lo'es his collie weel. 
An' Donald li\es his fght! 
While Rohhie tilts the Bonnie Jug, 
Wi' cronies late at night. 
Ah weel! that I could hear them say. 
When as\ed, "An where is Bruce?'' 
"Hoot mon! At last tK Lord has put 
A hairnie in his hoose IT 



[ji] 



On A Tombstone 

V/here the grasses 

Are high, 

Where the humming birds fly. 

Here lie I. 

Where the pure daisies nod 
I reach thru the sod — 
To my Cod. 

A century ago 
I was laid low 
By a foe. 



[3^] 



One liV rag doll, two liV shoes, 

Tree liV froc\s oh hloo. 
De shoes is worn, de dress is torn, 

An de doll nigh hus in two. 

One, two, three, is de number oh plates. 

An' de table is alius set, 
Wid a extry cheer, la\ she was here, 

Les' you an me forget. 



[35} 



A Bold Answer 

Miss Ann, says she. 

Says she to me, 

"When yo' grows up 

Whatll yo he?'' 

V/hy! 'plies 1, an hesitates, 

De President oh United States!" 



[36] 



A Child's Prayer 

Dear Father here on bended /^nee, 
A little child doth as\ of Thee, 
To ma\e me always \ind and good 
To Bless each mouthful of this food 
My parents l^ind doth me provide, 
And \eep me always by Thy side. 

AMEK 



[37] 



Designed and Printed by OrmistoD-Dick Co., Pittsburgh 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

llliliilliliililllllllll 

015 873 531 3 



